SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A North County teenager's determination to walk again after becoming paralyzed from the chest down has led her to Europe.
Zalia Oliva, her mom and aunt arrived in Portugal in early March.
"It was rough. Thirty-one hours door to door. I didn’t sleep a wink," said mom Rozlyn Sturtevant.
"It was fine. I liked it. It wasn’t bad," said Zalia Oliva.
Zalia has maintained that positive attitude since ABC 10News first met the teenager in July. After spending three months in Arizona hospitals, she had just returned to her home in Carlsbad. She spent much of that time in a coma.
"It still feels surreal to me," said Zalia.
The La Costa Canyon High School graduate was nearly killed in a car crash last April in Phoenix. She was in college at the time. Zalia's boyfriend and a friend were killed when the driver slammed into a house.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
"Besides me obviously being in my chair, I think I’ve just gotten used to it. It’s like, 'Oh this is every day now.' I’ve lived it for eleven months," said Zalia.
But she's determined not to live the rest of her life confined to a wheelchair. Her mom, Rozlyn Sturtevant, says that they had to make the trip when they heard about a highly regarded physiotherapist in Portugal.
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"Maria, that’s all we know. We don’t even know her last name," said Sturtevant.
"Maria" doesn't want her contact information public, but she agreed to come out of retirement to work with Zalia.
"We’re still learning her theory and her process. It’s unlike anything we have seen," said Sturtevant.
And she says her daughter's progress is unlike anything they've seen.
"The reality of gaining some movement is promising which we’re already seeing in two weeks," said Sturtevant.
Zalia has been able to move her feet a bit, and her upper body is getting stronger.
"Her feet have never moved until we got here. Her legs have never moved until we got here for the last year," said Sturtevant.
Her mom says the trip would not have been possible without generous donations from the community.
"Just a massive thank you to every single person," said Sturtevant.
Sturtevant was a self-employed business owner and single mom before her daughter's accident. Now, she's her full-time caregiver. She's determined to do everything possible to help her daughter gain as much independence as possible.
"It's been a huge investment, but if she gains anything back, the way I looked at it, if she gains anything back, it’s worth every penny because it will impact the rest of her life," said Sturtevant.
Zalia and her mom will return home in two weeks, but they hope to continue working with the therapist in Portugal a few times a year.
The first anniversary of Zalia's accident is coming up on April 14. She plans to return to Phoenix to visit friends and hold some type of memorial for those who did not survive.
The family's GoFundMe can be found here.
